Accommodations

Tour Overview

This off-road adventure tour will be the most memorable ride to the beach you will ever have. The route brings you through several wildlife refuges and protected forests, to sparkling waterfalls and to the small fishing villages and sandy beaches of Ecuador's enamoring coastline. This is an opportunity to experience several different cultures, varied ways of life and distinctive cuisines . The tour goes through some of the most bio-diverse regions in the world and parts of rural Ecuador that few visitors get to see. Lodging is in top-notch, exclusive lodges and hotels that are truly off the beaten path.

As with all of our tours, we believe Ecuador is best unlocked through its people. You'll have the opportunity to meet people from many walks of life from farmers to fishermen to archeologists. Our Road Book and programmed GPS make it easy to have an amazing adventure. Off-bike activities include a visit to the Tulipe archeological site, a visit to a palm tree farm and processor, the Inti-ñan Solar Museum, and a surfing lesson. The tour packs a lot into a very exciting week to create memories that will last for a lifetime.

Route Map

Elevation Profile

Things You Will See

The Equator

We'll stop at the center of the world at Sitio Intiñan to see the Coriolis effect in action and learn how the ancients came to know this was the equator long before modern GPS were invented.

Pacific Coast

We'll enjoy Ecuador's maginificent Pacific Coast, its cuisine and many activities such as surfing, fishing and swimming.

Quito

The tour starts and ends in the beautiful city of Quito. Included is a tour of Quito by bus or self-guided on one of our scooters.

Pack for a Purpose

Save some room in your luggage to bring school supplies and deliver them personally to our Pack for a Purpose schools in remore areas of the country. Just a little bit of space can make a huge impact on the lives of school children!

Ceibo Trees

Straight from a Tim Burton film or a page out of Dr. Seuss, these large trees feature bright green bulbous trunks, prominent buttresses and a disarray of heavy limbs extending in all directions.

Bellavista Bird Lodge

This world-famous bird lodge is located in the thick of the Nono Biological Reserve, regarded as one of the world's most bio-diverse forests. It frequently wins the Audobon Society's prize each year for the number of bird species sighted.

Chocolate Farm

You'll visit a cacao farm to learn how it is grown, harvested and turned into delicious chocolate!

Pre-Tour Briefing

You'll be provided with a thoughtful presentation on Ecuadorian driving courtesies, customs and unwritten rules of the road as well as a complete overview of the route prior to your departure.

Moonshine Distillery

Visit a working "moonshine" distillery to see how Ecuadorians turn sugar cane into a delicious alchoholic beverage.

Cobblestone Roads

You'll ride on a few miles of one of Ecuador's national treasures - its network of ancient cobblestone roads that are maintained by hand in a traditional way. They are absolutely beautiful!

Traditional Farming

You'll visit communities where the way of life has not changed in centuries, where farming is still done with the assistance of animals and the results are pure and delicious food!

Small Towns

Experience a different pace of life as you ride through small villages and towns in remote areas of the country. Life is a bit more "tranquilo" here and people have time to be helpful and very friendly.

Water Crossings

On this tour you will have a few river and stream crossings.

Canoa, Manabi

Canoa is a fun beach town with a welcoming expat community. With great bars, surfing, paragliding, kayaking and many other activities available.

Beach Riding

This tour involves several miles of riding on the beach.

Mashpi Cloudforest Reserve

The Mashpi Cloudforest Reserve is a beautiful reserve on the Western Slopes of the Andes full of wildlife, waterfalls and gorgeous vistas.

Cabbage Palm Farm

You probably know Cabbage Palm as "hearts of palm" that you will find in your salads. Have you ever had one right out of the field, fresh and not canned? It is fantastic!

Shaman Healing

You may benefit from a cleansing or other ritual offered by traditional village Shaman in the rainforest regions of the east and west.

Cascada Galito de la Peña

A beautiful hike will bring you past lots of gorges and waterfalls and then you can swim in this beautiful crystal waterfall.

Coffee Plantation

Tour a working coffee plantation and see how the beans are grown, cultivated, sorted and roasted to perfection to make some of the best coffee in the world.

Ferry Crossing

Cross a river using a ferry.

Exotic Fruit Farm

Visit an exotic fruit farm growing over 350 species of rare fruits from around the world.

Butterfly Sanctuary

Visit a butterfly sanctuary with hundreds of species of butterflies in various stages of life from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis. Fascinating.

Tulipe Archeological Site

The pre-hispanic Yumbo people left a series of curious ruins including celestial pools, mounds and tunnels. Fascinating.

About Our Offroad Tours

Itinerary

Click for Timeline Overview

Arrival in Quto

Travel day to Quito

Fly to Quito's airport (code UIO) and transfer to one of the recommended hotels near our shop in tn the heart of the fashionable La Carolina neighborhood, and explore the nearby galleries, shopping, museums, and cafés.

Travel day to Quito

1 or 2 days prior to the tour start date

Pre-Tour Registration and Tour of Qutio

Arrive a day or two prior to departure to enjoy Quito. You may stop into our shop to finalize the paperwork in advance, for an easier start on Day 1. Consider taking one of our self-guided tours of Quito or to Mindo!

Many international flights leave around midnight from Quito. If you are catching a flight the same evening as the last day of the tour, you may enjoy VIP access to our "Freedom Riders' Lounge" - complete with a hot shower, jacuzzi, and honor bar.

Day 1 - Mindo

Elevation Profile - Day 1

Distance Covered: 114 km / 71 miles

You'll begin this 7 day/ 6 night adventure from our shop in Quito, Ecuador. In 1978, Quito became the first place on the planet to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for having the best-preserved historic center in all of Latin America. Quito is high on the Antiplano Plateau (the second highest in the world) in the Andes at 9,350 feet. We suggest that you arrive a day or two early to experience our magnificent capital city while getting acclimated to high altitude before beginning the tour.

During the first morning of the tour you’ll be outfitted with the motorcycle of your choice and given a thorough orientation answering all questions concerning local customs, rules of the road, riding signals, Ecuadorian driver courtesies, and more. The first day’s ride purposefully includes a sampling of the different types of roads that will be ridden. You will be shown how to operate your pre-programmed GPS unit with daily routes and be given a "Road Book" with details and points of interest for each day. You will also be provided an "emergency kit" containing a pre-paid cell phone, first aid kit, tools and other items to ensure your ride goes smoothly. You will have the opportunity to safely become accustomed to asphalt, dry gravel, cobblestone, and dirt farm roads.

Inti-ñan means “path of the Sun” in the Quechua language and the Inti-ñan Museum is situated directly on the Equator. The indigenous peoples have revered this site for thousands of years and our group will learn how ancient people came to understand that this was the center of the world centuries before the advent of modern geography or GPS devices. During your first stop directly on the “red line” you will experiment with gravity, including witnessing how water drains either clockwise or counter-clockwise depending on which side of the Equator you are standing. You will also have the opportunity to see how the indigenous populations of Ecuador live by visiting models of their homes. This will enable you to better understand the cultures and ways of life that you will experience as you pass through various regions.

Departing the Inti-ñan Museum you are now officially outside of the Quito metropolitan region, and have begun riding in the Northern Hemisphere. Your second stop is to view the beautiful Pululahua Crater Geo-Botanical Reserve, a crater formed by a volcanic eruption 2,500 years ago. From there, head onto the western slopes of the Andes that are full of dense, green forests and steep mountains.

You'll turn onto a dirt road that will take you to the small town of Nono and then into the Nono Biological Reserve - a wildlife refuge that is famous for being one of the world's most biodiverse regions. It contains the smaill Andean Spectacled Bear and thousands of species of colorful birds and frogs.

Stop at the Bellavista Bird Lodge and turn the engines off and sit silently for a couple of minutes and see hundreds of coorful birds surround us and put on a show.

From there we'll drip down into the microclimate of the town of Mindo - a funky cloudforest town with lots of adventure sports and activities available. We'll visit an organic chocolate maker to see how raw cacao is grown and transformed into premium, gourmet chocolate. Then You'll ride deeper into the cloudforest and check into a private cabin alongside the Mindo river at the Mindo Garden Lodge.

Day 2 -Cielo Verde

Elevation Profile - Day 2

Distance Covered: 106 km / 65 miles

After a hearty breakfast including fresh exotic fruit juices, stop to visit the amazing butterfly farm. It has several species of butterflies in all stages of life from chrysalis on up. Its an amazing place and a good way to start our morning. Then, you can visit a coffee farm to learn how coffee is grown, selected, roasted and packed. You'll learn what makes a good coffee bean and have a second cup here before we head out of Mindo.

Then you will ride nto the Sacred Valley of Tulipe - home of the ancient Yumbo people. This is a unique culture that left many artifacts, pyramids and a unique road system of tunnels. You may visit the ceremonial pools here in the Tulipe archeological site. No one understands the actual use of these large spaces. The stone pools have a symbolic structure (one is in the shape of a jaguar) which, when filled with water, apparently served as celestial observatories of the night sky. This meant the Yumbo were not only able to interpret the stars but, as they entered the pools, they were metaphorically able to bathe among the stars reflected on the water's surface. Here they predicted the future and revealed cosmic secrets to the initiated.

Descending deeper into the mysterious, mist-shrouded forest with giant anthuriums, mosses and towering trees you'll arrive in the village of Pacto where we will have a short hike to an amazing waterfall where we can have a refreshing swim. Afterwards, we'll replensih on some of the locally grown exotic fuits We'll hop on the bike and continue down in elevation into the magical cloudforest.

You'll pass a few muddy spots that will demand all of your attention, so we will stop a few times so that you can fully appreciate and take in this beautiful part of the world. Its an area that National Geographic has made famous thanks to their "expeditions" in this area. We'll get a more immersive experience in this enchanting forest.

You'll ride through the Mashpi Cloudforest reserve, one of Ecuador's most beautiful forests. With wild orchids, colorful birds and pristine waterfalls. Its a ride you will never forget. We'll do a river crossing over a waterfall - a once in a lifetime experience.

Then you can stop for a fascinating visit (included) to the exotic fruit farm and research center run by our friends Jim and Mimi. Here they grow over 600 species of exotic fruits, berbs and spices from all over the world. Jim and his wife live in a rustic, two-story wooden house and we stayed in a small, equally rustic guest house made from a bamboo-like grass. The open structure, which is nestled into the dense forest, serves as a home and a business for Jim’s seed sales. In every corner of the building there are bundles of colorful fruits or bags of seeds ready for mailing. The couple has been living in this very remote location in the middle of the rainforest for over 30 years. Back when they started they had to walk six hours through very dense vegetation to reach a dirt road with a bus service and there was no electricity. For food they mainly had to grow it themselves. We'll taste some very strange fruits and play a game of identifying spices and herbs from their unique scents and seeing first hand the extensive collection of rare trees and specimens in this fantastically fruity place.

You'll end the days ride at the CieloVerde Lodge, in the small village of Cielo Verde at about 1200 feet in elevation. They have private access to a crystal clear river beach,swimming pool and jacuzzis. You'll enjoy a fine dinner of the local cuisine.

Day 3 -Samé

Elevation Profile - Day 3

You can have a last jump into the crystal waters of the Huanduriaco River, a traditional Ecuadorian breakfast and head out from the beautiful village of Cielo Verde.

Your first stop will be at at an international award-winning chocolate producer. The Mashi chocolate farm is owned by Alejandro Solano and his wife Agustina. Alejandro is one of the regions expert birders, able to recognize calls from a distance and zoom in to find the bird before it moves on. The farm grows "Nacional trees' - known as the world's best chocolate - and through an elaborate process creates Mashpi Artisanal Chocolate bars. Alejando and Agustina combine their passions-tending to cacao groves in the shade of the cloud forest, to preserve the land and natural habitats of the rare species of birds here. The final product captures the richness of the climate, and like shade-grown coffee, has a depth of flavor not found using other growing techniques. You will get to taste this famous chocolate on our tour of their farm.

You'll pass immense fields of the cabbage palm tree. These are what you probably know as "hearts of palm" that adorn salads around the world. You can stop to meet a cabbage palm farmer (locaation in GPS) and open up the stalk of this tree to taste a fresh heart of palm. The light, flaky taste and texture is delicious and nothing at all like the canned variety.

You'll pass through acres and acres of majestic palm groves. You can meet some of the farmers here and visit a palm processing operation - that turns these giant palm nuts into the vegetable oil you use everyday in your soap, french fries and thousands of other products. You can visit a palm oil processing station to see how these palm nuts are made into vegetable oil.

Then you will continue through these beautiful farmlands on dirt roads and cross the Guayllabamba River using a small ferry.

At the town of Quininde, known for its exotic fruit markets, join a rolling, paved toad that will take you to the coast and give us fun, wide sweeping turns and spectacular views of the residents who live along the rivers here. Its a different culture and people here and their attitude is always warm, friendly and festive.

You'll get to the coast and skirt around the city of Esmeraldas and head down the coastline, passing the beach towns of Tonsupa and Atacames. You'll claw over a few dramatic cliffs giving spectacular views of the ocean and arrive at the charming El Acantillado Lodge, near the town of Same. Here you will have access to a private beach, and you will check into your private cabin high on a cliff overlooking the beach and ocean below.

Day 4- San Clemente

Day 4 Same - Galera - Pedernales - Canoa - San Clemente

330 km / 205 miles

After a visit to the caves along the cliffs along the private beach, you will probably want to have a fresh shrimp omelette breakfast (or something else) and head out on the road. You'll ride into the Galera - Cabo San Francisco Marine Reserve Park - one of Ecuador's most beautiful natural untouched ssections of coastline. You'll stop for a visit to the Playa Escondida Reserve, run by our friend Judith who has been actively protecting this part of the world for over forty years.

Continue along the coastline roads that have the feel of a giant garden along a rocky coastline. This is one of the most remote and least visited part of the Ecuadorian Coast, and it is a stunning landscape.

You will see that the preferred form of transport here is horseback. We usually stop for lunch in the somewhat chaotic little city of Pedernales. Known as the capital city for shrimp harvesting and trade in Ecuador (the country's third most important export) here you can enjoy some of the great restaurants serving the freshest shrimp you will have ever tasted in your life!

You will continue your ride down the unspoiled coastline of empty, sandy beaches and into the warm, friendly fishing village of Jama. Then, you will head inland for a ride on some of the serene, undisturbed countryside of Manabi, passing cattle farms.

You'll ride through the fishing / surfing village of Canoa and continue along the coast and across the bridge at the Bahia de Caraquez. Here, you will drop onto the beach and continue for about 18 miles riding in the sand, right on the beach along the cliffs (depending on the tides this is done either going to San Clemente or returning on Day 6). This is not a brief ride - its about a 20 mile stretch of pristine and sometimes rocky coastline.

There are not many places left in the world where you can ride so far, right on the beach and so we hope this will be a memorable experience!

Day 5 - Rest Day in San Clemente

Day 5 Rest Day in San Clemente

0 miles / 0 km (optional riding available)

Break Day! Relaxation and sunshine!

You can take the bike out and explore the beautiful back country of Manabi Province. Or take a boat expedition to explore the famous bird-watching mecca of El Corazon Island. Corazon Island is a haven of mangroves, located between Bahia de Caraquez and San Vicente in the Chone River estuary in the province of Manabi. Inside there is a path through the mangroves where native guides interpret the life of the mangrove and its rich biodiversity. It is a community ecotourism project which seeks to educate and preserve mangrove resources through education of its inhabitants and visitors.

Or, you can just pull up a chair at some of the great hang-outs, beachside bars and restaurants and enjoy a restful day away from the bike.

Day 6 - Valle Hermoso

Elevation Profile - Day 6

You'll have some time to enjoy the beach this morning and the fresh salty air before you head out. To the north, we head through a dry forest and home to the legendary Ceibo tree. Known as the "tree of life," Ceibo trees (pronounced “SAY-bo”) are a striking feature of the coastal Ecuadorian landscape. Straight from a Tim Burton film or a page out of Dr. Seuss, these large trees feature bright green bulbous trunks, prominent buttresses and a disarray of heavy limbs extending in all directions.

The tree produces a silky flower called Kapoks. Historically, the super soft kapok fibers were collected and used to fill pillows, mattresses, stuffed dolls, etc. In addition, the waxy coating found on the fibers make the fluff resistant to water and highly buoyant; thus, kapok was used worldwide until the mid 1900s in life preservers, life vests and seat cushions.

You'll head away from the coast, heading inland into a land of rolling hills with a wide variety of climates, landscapes and crops. There are rice fields, cattle farms, protected dry forests, and fruit trees. You'll take curvy paved backroads and a route of unpaved farm roads through this magnificent land.

You'll end the day at a phenomenal hotel, the Kashama Eco Resort & Spa,in the rainforest, at the base of the Andes. The hotel is unique in that it is built into a waterfall. It offers fantastic cuisine and an experience of the local culture of the friendly Tsachila people. You will enjoy a good night's rest with the sounds of the waterfall lulling you to a deep slumber.

Day 7 - Quito

Elevation Profile Day 7

After a refreshing swim in the waterfall, have breakfast and start riding up the foothills of the Andes. You'll climb in elevation, passing lush green farms growing coffee and tropical fruits. The first part of the ride is on a super twisty, curvy road that will exhilirate you.

From then we will head down into the valley of the Rio Blanco - a mighty river known by kayaking and rafting enthusiasts. We'll have a stop at the Rio Sucio falls - a popluar local swimming hole with several available small restaurants.

From there, its unpaved roads through an area of the country that attracts bird watching enthusiasts from around the world. You'll start heading upwards and the air will thin out as we climb to an altitude of over 12,000 feet. You'll have fantastic vistas of the valley below. You will be passing by several spectacular waterfalls as you ride through small villages such as Chiriboga and other settlements in the cloudforest on the western slopes of Ecuador.

Coming over the last pass, you'll re-enter Quito and get an amazing view of this sprawling city from high above. You'll re-enter the city and pass through the picturesque colonial center - the first place in the world to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 1970's, thanks to its well-preserved ancient colonial buildings and magnificent churches.

Photo Gallery

What to Expect

This self-guided adventure will start in our offices located in the Carolina neighborhood of Quito, the safest and most convenient part of Quito. Prior to your departure (on the day prior or the morning of departure) you will be provided a detailed and thoughtful presentation on Ecuadorian rules of the road, customs and courtesies. You'll be instructed on how to operate your pre-programmed GPS unit and given a packet that includes your prepaid hotel vouchers and daily map sheets with points of interest, descriptions of local highlights information and "hidden gems" that aren't common knowlege. You can use this information to tailor your day - including as much or as little as you like. The route will be reviewed with you in detail to provide you with additional useful information about timing, suggestions for lunch stops and where to get gas along the way.

On the morning of your departure, you will be provided the offroad-capable motorcycle of your choice which is fitted with waterproof luggage system, a first aid kit, a tankbag if you want one, spare innertubes (or tire repair kit) and a set of tools. In addition you will have a prepaid cell phone to call us for support at anytime during your trip. We will carefully review the bike with you using our mult-point checklist to be sure that everything is in perfect working order before your departure and that you know what to do in case of an emergency or breakdown.

The route you will follow over the next seven days is based on several years' of experience and riding these routes many times on our guided version of the tour. The route is not highly technical and is composed primarily of unimproved dirt roads (natural dirt roads without gravel,etc). You should be aware that there are two long riding days and that you will be traveling in areas where access to medical care may be several hours away.

You will have many opportunities for amazing photos and stops in remote villages where visitors are very rare. Locals are friendly and the areas visited are very safe with very low crime rates.

During your ride, Ecuador Freedom staff will monitor your daily progress using an on-board GPS satellite tracking system and can assist you by telephone if you need to change your route, need roadside assistance or help in any way.

Upon returning, you will have access to our honor bar, jacuzzi, hot shower and staff that can assist you with your next destination.

Weather and Temperatures

Weather and temperature ranges in Ecuador are generally the same year round. In the highlands, you can expect the chance of passing showers but rarely a full day of rain. Chances for a full day of rain are more likely on the western slopes of the Andes in March, April and early May. This ride will be in elevations of sea level where temperatures can be around 90 degrees fahrenheit to 11,500 where temperatures are in the 40's fahrenheit. Dressing in layers is recommended. Please see this article for more nformation about the weather in Ecuador.

AccommodationsThroughout the tour, you will stay in ideally-located, high-end accommodations. See this page for details and links to the specific accommodations provided. Ecuador Freedom has the right to substitute accommodations of equal quality due to availability and will notify you of these changes.

Packing List and PreparationEcuador Freedom will provide you with detailed information to prepare for the ride, including a packing list. You should know how to make general motorcycle repairs and maintenance and to be able to change an innertube. Before you travel, we recommend that you familiarize yourself in advance with these recommended guidebooks and maps.

Accommodations on this Tour

Accommodations on this tour

Our accommodations are selected for their exceptional quality, location, and unique character. Below are the accommodations featured on this tour.

If you are traveling by yourself on a motorcycle in a 4x4, your price is the first column according to your vehicle choice.

If you are traveling with a passenger on a motorcycle, take the first column plus the second column.

If you are traveling wtih more than one passenger in a 4x4, take the price of the 4x4 in the first column plus the price in the second column X the number of passengers.

If you are two people traveling together and sharing a room but riding two motorcycles or a motorcycle and a 4x4, select your bike from the first column and add the price for the price of the third column.

We know this may be confusing so please do not hesitate to contact us by clicking the "ask a question" button on this page and we will gladly provide you a quote.

Not included

100% Refundable security deposit to cover any damage to the rental motorcycle

Ecuador IVA (sales) tax ONLY if you are Ecuadorian

NO TAX FOR TOURISTS TO ECUADOR!

Hotel accomodations before and after the tour in Quito

Meals not listed

Activities not listed

Fuel

Booking and cancellation policy

To secure your booking you need to pay 50% at the time of booking your rental or tour. Please contact us and we will send you a payment request from our secure payments provider (currently we use BlueSnap and PayPal)..Using our payments providers, you may pay with any major credit card or with your checking account.

Deposits are refundable minus 10% of the total rental or tour price only if cancelled at least 90 days prior to departure or pick-up date. Cancellations are very costly to us as they impede our planning and ability to sell rentals and tours to other customers. Therefore, cancellations for anyreason made less than 90 days before the pickup or departure date are not refundable nor may they be applied to a future rental or tour.

To protect yourself from this loss of your deposit, it is up to you to secure travel insurance that covers cancellations due to health problems, family tragedies or problems with flight departures, etc.

To get a free quote for travel insurance that will reimburse you in case you must cancel your trip (plus provide medical and repatriation coverage in case of an accident), just go to www.allianztravelinsurance.com and enter agency code F203715 which will indicate to them that you are travelling with us.

We highly recommend Ripcord Travel Insurance, a partner of ours. They provide very extensive travel insurance plus outstanding repatriation and assistance in an emergency. To purchase, just go to this page.

The balance (second 50%) of your rental or tour is due when you pick up the bike in our office in Quito. The second 50% can be paid in cash or with a credit card. We accept Mastercard, Visa, and American Express.